DHS Debunks NBC Fake News Claiming Russia ‘Penetrated’ Election

The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement Monday pushing back against NBC’s assertion the Russians hacked the 2016 U.S. election.

NBC released an “exclusive report” last week, with the headline “Russians Penetrated US Voter Systems, Top US Official Says,” which the DHS has accused of being “false” and “irresponsible.”

“Recent NBC reporting has misrepresented facts and confused the public with regard to Department of Homeland Security and state and local government efforts to combat election hacking,” said Cybersecurity and Communications Assistant Secretary Jeanette Manfra in the statement.

“First off, let me be clear: we have no evidence – old or new – that any votes in the 2016 elections were manipulated by Russian hackers.”

“NBC News continues to falsely report my recent comments on attempted election hacking – which clearly mirror my testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee last summer – as some kind of “breaking news,” incorrectly claiming a shift in the administration’s position on cyber threats.”

“NBC’s irresponsible reporting, which is being roundly criticized elsewhere in the media and by security experts alike, undermines the ability of the Department of Homeland Security, our partners at the Election Assistance Commission, and state and local officials across the nation to do our incredibly important jobs,” she added.

“This designation does not mean a federal takeover, regulation, oversight or intrusion concerning elections in this country,” said former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson. “This designation does nothing to change the role state and local governments have in administering and running elections.”